US military equipment sold to other countries: what about the labels

[MillCreek]

I am doing some reading on US Naval frigate design and construction.  I see that large numbers of Knox and Perry -class frigates were sold to foreign navies as US surplus.  Many of those navies don't use English or even Arabic lettering.  So what happens with all the instrument gauges, indicators and operating manuals?  Is someone going around with a Dymo label maker and pasting new language labels on the gauges and translating the manuals?

[TommyGunn]

I believe there are companies specializing in relabeling equipment in foreign languages.   Heard about it many years ago .... don't recall the detail ......

[MechAg94]

I believe there are companies specializing in relabeling equipment in foreign languages.   Heard about it many years ago .... don't recall the detail ......

That would make sense since lots of new industrial gauges and other equipment are manufactured each year. 

[French G.]

I would assume that we spend a lot of money meeting whatever the customer specifies. The amount of foreign navy you see at naval base Norfolk is staggering, someone always here for training. I have seen the Spanish transferred LSTs and FFGs in their homeport but never been on.

[Hawkmoon]

I would assume that we spend a lot of money meeting whatever the customer specifies.

I doubt it. These are old ships that the U.S. offers to other countries at bargain prices, just to unload them from our inventory. If other countries don't want 'em the ships get sent to the scrap yards. I think the buyers are responsible for replacing signage if they choose to do so.

[dogmush]

I have been on Kuwaiti Navy vessels that were ex-French vessels and had gauges in French with Arabic writing in Sharpie.  Sometimes they buy new gauges, sometimes the one guy that reads english draws red lines on the gauges and tells the conscripts not to let the needle pass the red line.

[RoadKingLarry]

Sort of along the same lines...

About 25 years ago one of my cousins restored and re-certified a Soviet era Antonov AN-2. He hired a Russian exchange student to translate labels and manuals for him.

[Boomhauer]

Sort of along the same lines...

About 25 years ago one of my cousins restored and re-certified a Soviet era Antonov AN-2. He hired a Russian exchange student to translate labels and manuals for him.

The guys that buy Yak-52s and Nanchang CJ-6s use solutions like Dogmush outlined. Units not familiar to the pilot are referred to as “potatoes”

[230RN]

For languages that read from right to left, do their gauges run that way, too?  Zero on right, max on left?

I'll never forget the scene where Scotty goes tap-tap-tap on a digital gauge.  Jarring the electrons loose, I guess.

                                                       NR032 ,yrreT
<tap-tap-tap>
Terry, 230RN

There, that's better

[dogmush]

For languages that read from right to left, do their gauges run that way, too?  Zero on right, max on left?

I'll never forget the scene where Scotty goes tap-tap-tap on a digital gauge.  Jarring the electrons loose, I guess.

                                                       NR032 ,yrreT
<tap-tap-tap>
Terry, 230RN

There, that's better

Can't speak for all of them, but in Arabic  numbers are still read left to right, even when the letters are right to left.  Every gauge I've seen over there sweeps clockwise.